In Sandy’s wake, City Council proposes anti-flooding building regulations

The City Council has proposed anti-flooding legislation that affects requirements for new and renovated buildings, in an effort to buttress New York’s ability to weather future “superstorms” such as Hurricane Sandy, Crain’s reported.

The bills would raise elevation requirements for new and significantly improved buildings and would include flood-proofing requirements for buildings in at-risk areas. The bills would also call for adopting the new Federal Emergency Management Agency flood advisory maps and tighten the building codes for health care facilities.

The proposal comes amidst heated discussions in Congress about how best to disburse several billion dollars of rebuilding aid. Earlier this month, President Obama proposed a $60.4 billion emergency spending bill to finance recovery efforts in storm-ravaged areas. The total damage in the tri-state area is estimated to be $82 billion, as previously reported. [Crain’s] — Hiten Samtani